Four Winds Trade Company
The Four Winds Trade Company is a for-profit multipurpose trade, export and 'relic re-acquisition' organization established during the invasion of Tanaan Jungle by Bakuzan Burlycloud. The Company seeks to empower its members and allies by forming long-lasting partnerships for trade, supply and sell-sword services. Keeping relatively on the lighthearted straight and narrow, but not afraid to dip into the murkier sides of the law when necessary for their client's satisfaction, the employees of the Four Winds are the group to turn to when an item needs collecting, supplies need delivering or a questionable task needs doing - without clients subjecting themselves to any pesky 'liability' or 'legality' nonsense. =History= ---- Upon finding shattered armaments scattered around what was left of her small hometown of Stoneplow, Bakuzan Burlycloud had the epiphany that she hadn't ever really been of use to the faction that had so easily welcomed her people into its folds - and decided to make a career change from resident lamppost sitter in the Cathedral district to enterprising Trade Baron. Using her well-earned clout within the Tillers' Union as a chair member (for Trade, Export and Tourism), Bakuzan took her own funding and filed paperwork to register the Four Winds Trading Company in the Human capital of Stormwind City as a reputable organization, and began approaching trusted contacts for hire. Through the Winds, Bakuzan and her employees act as support and trade acquisition, supplying members of her beloved Alliance with healthy and delicious meals, weaponry, pseudo-military aid, armor and more - along with off-the-cuff contracts picked up by unique clients for her employees and Partners to embark on for extra coin or notoriety. Although seemingly inept on the surface, the Winds members are skilled in their lines of work - and have aided its allies in everything from catering simple parties to elaborate holiday galas; from delivering giant carrots to fist-fighting an enormous Kraken for High Elven artifacts - even to appearing on the front lines against the Fel Horde in the last desperate push to Hellfire Citadel. Events and Appearances The Four Winds Trade Company was established to aid members of the Alliance; knowing an army marches on its stomach, Bakuzan Burlycloud, as acting Trade Baron, sets out to work with varying members of Alliance and Neutral oriented guilds, organizations, mercenary groups and businesses to provide stable and reliable goods, transport and for-hire work. The Winds aim to be the group to turn to when an ally is looking for a specific item or type of aid; not specializing in any one field is both their strength and weakness, as Bakuzan's wandering eye is prone to picking up any type of route or odd job available to her employees. The Sha'tari Gemstone The Company's first major contract was to recover a gemstone of great power that was stolen from a Draenic temple during the Siege of Shattrath; unwilling to risk propagating any racial tensions due to the aid of Lady Liadrin and her Blood Knights, but still sure that Sin'dorei of the Horde were behind the theft, a low-ranking Draenic priest approached Bakuzan with promise of payment to recover the stone for him. Upon setting out to Nagrand, following the clues left by the thief, the Company and their allies in the Te'Amun located Grilax Goldgrinder, head of the Goldgrinder cartel, and beat the information out of him as to who had bought the stone. Goldgrinder relented, giving up the name and information of a Zyamine Bloodsinger; she and her lackeys had taken the gemstone to the Isle of Quel'danas to attempt to open a portal to the Twisting Nether while the heroes of the Grand Alliance were distracted in Tanaan. The Company was able to stop them in time, but the Draenic priest that appeared to reclaim the stone revealed himself as a Man'ari turncoat; upon shoving the stone into his forehead and channeling its power, he tried to wipe out the last loose end of his manipulation (having hired the Goblins to steal the gem for him, then tempting the Elves with its power) - the Company. After a grueling battle, Asyrj, a Board Member of the Four Winds, ripped out the foul demon's spinal cord, killing him before he could escape into the Nether. Tesserra, a Worgen Druid, recovered the stone and has contacted the Te'Amun for its safe acquisition and recovery... Silver Reaver Campaign The Four Winds then lent their aid to the Grand Alliance in attempting to reclaim a stolen and fel-corrupted Silver Reaver construct, built by the Highguard, but succeeded only in having Bakuzan and Barsos Ironhide captured. They've since been recovered, but at a crippling blow to the Alliance - the Reaver was unrecoverable and damaged, while Bakuzan sustained prolonged injuries in a successful campaign to 'rescue' Barsos, the unlikely hero of the hour, from encroaching fel sludges. Bakuzan took a fair amount of time in recovering from her injuries with care from both Barsos' unorthodox Death Knight healing, and frequent checkups by the Lightwarden of Te'Amun, Rhuua; back on her feet, Bakuzan has every intention to push the Four Winds forward with more campaigns and contracts to follow through. The Reaver event lead to an unlikely relationship between Bakuzan and Barsos that continues to the present day. The Army of the Truthful Campaign After the Silver Reaver campaign / the Court of Uther's return from the jungles of Tanaan, the Highguard have set out on a personal crusade to bring the radically violent Scarlet sect known as the Army of the Truthful to a swift and unmerciful end; reaching outside of the jurisdiction of the Court, Ranger-Lady Aeriyth Dawnsorrow has elected to bring members of the Winds along on varying scouting campaigns, bombing runs and aiding in precision dronegonhawk strikes. Cultist of the Damned Event Inbetween aiding the High Elves on their missions against the Scarlet menace, the Four Winds are off on their own adventures - having previously been paid a pittance to exterminate some undead wandering Raven Hill, Bakuzan and her compatriots stumbled across a lone Cultist of the Damned practicing necromancy in the Graveyard (as they do); chasing after him revealed an entire set of unexplored catacombs. Inbetween destroying the Cultist's plans, Barsos Ironhide managed to acquire a new minion; an abnormally large, abjectly feminine Flesh Giant he affectionately dubbed 'Samantha'. The Company was able to track down and take out the Cultist and his 'Aboneimation' creature, and after further exploration of the crypts, spied a Lich and its minions working double-time to raise mindless dead from recently harvested corpses. They then regrouped and took it upon themselves to aid the people of Raven Hill; between their knowledge of prayer rites, undead inner workings and brute strength, it was speculated to still not be enough to bring down the Lich permanently. After enlisting the aid of the Highguard's best Light-wielders, the Company made their way through the Lich's hideout in the crypts below Duskwood, punching through boobytrapped room after room, narrowly avoiding succumbing to an insidious poison. After much strife, Lynnesta of the Highguard managed to smash the Lich's phylactery, bringing an end to his nefarious experiments on the corpses of the freshly dead. Honnoji's Return In 625 K.C., Bakuzan Burlycloud sent out letters of request to the Temple of Chi-ji, requesting a representative from their order for the newly established Light's Accord. Honnoji was the priestess that answered the call, having recognized the surname and lotus emblem on the letter. During this time, however, Bakuzan had an attempt made on her life by an unknown assailant and had fallen into a deathlike sleep, rendering a reunion between the two impossible by conventional means. More on this arc can be found at Honnoji's own entry. )) The Outpost The pride and joy of the Four Winds is a former war-torn Alliance garrison on Draenor, bought for a relatively fair sum and renovated into a stronghold warehouse capable of withstanding and storing the Winds' goods and employees alike. This is where the majority of their inventory is kept; transportation to and from Draenor is hardly an issue with a small cadre of portal-tearing Mages. Hardy Kun-Lai Pandaren and previously displaced Westfall civilians have been given jobs as day laborers; packers and shippers, they're the driving force behind the Winds' moderate success. Antiquities, artifacts and special orders are kept in the lock-down room known as the Vault. Only Bakuzan has the key. Outpost_farm.png|Can't have a Pandaren farm without a chicken coop! Fresh eggs, feathers and meat are in good supply. Mogu_pumpkins_on_draenor.png|Bakuzan attempts to grow Mogu Pumpkins on Outpost land with mixed results. Still edible! Fourwinds-inventory_2.png|Stacks and stacks of imported goods... Fourwinds-inventory.png|... and exported goods, all packed and ready for shipping. Mine 2.png|The Winds' local mine yields bountiful results. Everburning_forge_effects.png|Nothing like an everburning fire elemental to serve as a power source for your forge! Outpost_meetinghall.png|The Main Office is where Bakuzan lays down the law. She's started to spruce the place up with Pandaren accouterments. Vault_vault.png|The Winds' most valuable goods and rare finds are stored in the Vault. IC Contract Fine Print The Four Winds Trade Company and its allies are not responsible for any injuries, fake or sustained; burns, scratches, owies, bruises, nicks, cuts, scrapes, torn armor, torn dresses, torn loincloths, ripped loincloths, Ogre loincloths, vision damage from staring at a ripped Ogre loincloth, fel corruption, Arcane damage, Fire damage, Frost damage, Shadow damage, Shadowfrost damage, Holy Light cauterization, Holy Light rejection, feral Druid nail clippings, Draenic nipple piercings and cleanings therein, feral Druid horn stubbings, feral Druid hoof cracking, electrical damage, electrical stimulation, Gnomish engineering failure, catastrophic Gnomish engineering failure, tiny Gnomish engineering failure, ANY TYPES of Goblin engineering failures, dancing injuries, Dwarven-induced scrotum hemorrhaging, Dwarven-induced anal prolapse, jumping-for-joy injuries, misshapen armor blisters, misshapen shoe blisters, swallowing of errant teeth (your own or others') injuries sustained from stealth breaking, injuries sustained from positions being given away due to malfunctioning Gnomish communicators, injuries sustained from ingesting Pandaren brews, injuries sustained from ingesting Bakuzan's brews; injuries sustained by or in the attempt of wielding, repairing or recovering shovels or shovel-like implements; cooking stove burns, scrapes, scuffs, toe-stubbings, and various pans falling on the Employee's head; injuries sustained from heatstroke, sunstroke, errant sand in places sand should never be; drowning, near-drowning, curses placed upon the Employee by illegally acquiring cursed artifacts or relics; romantically inclined actions towards the Trade Baron may result in Dwarven-Death-Knight induced trauma, death, or even undeath. '' ''Bakuzan and her Board Members are not responsible for the Employee: being thrown up on by any Death Knight; being oozed on, splattered with ectoplasm, splattered with decapitated head filth, splattered with chest-cavity leavings, splattered with runic energies; soul unceremoniously shoved back into corporeal body from death or near-death by a Death Knight; stains from any aforementioned splattering are not covered under the Laundry Day Clause (2.08.a1). This fine print is subject to change and reprint as necessary to protect the Four Winds from litigation and Stomwind Peon's Compensation claims. Supplies Employees are granted the following items upon signing in triplicate the Intent to Release Responsibility of Bodily Harm Form (3.u8_mkII): * 1 (One) Gnomish-Engineered Clip-on Communicator ** ( with location ping device, push-to-talk function and audio recorder ) * 1 (One) Four Winds Trade Company insignia pin '' ** ( Employee responsible for maintaining prominent display location of pin as to be easily identified by fellow employees or allied groups ) * ''1 (One) set of Four Winds uniform; thickly-woven work shirt, overalls and work boots provided in varying sizes '' ** ''Uniforms are on permanent back-order due to unexplained shipments vanishing in the outpost before they reach the employees. *** ( Employees with cloven feet may need to improvise ) Imports & Exports of the Four Winds [ It can be assumed that since this is an IC listing of goods and services available that it is constantly a work in progress, updated often and as times, events and partnerships grow and change. Allies and prospective clients alike are encouraged to keep an eye on this section to mind what the Winds have to offer! ] The Four Winds Trade Co. currently has access to the following goods and services. Please contact any employee, partner or underbaron for more information regarding orders or trade intent! Pandaria The formerly mist-shrouded continent offers rich crops of varying shapes, sizes and yields from the Valley of the Four Winds, grown daily and accelerated in Vale-enriched soils for speed ordering in bulk amounts. Currently available are: * Healthy Turnips ( in both white and red varieties ) * Juicycrunch Carrots * Leafy Green Cabbages * Giant Mogu Pumpkins * Melons ( in both jade/vegetable and water/fruit varieties ) * Hearty Squash * Sweet-and-sour Witchberries ( grown and harvested on the Trade Baron's own farmstead ) . Valley soil has also been stress-tested to grow varying crops on Azeroth; special requests of Eastern Kingdoms/Kalimdor produce and herbs are available to order. * Along with the produce of the Valley, the Winds' current Trade Baron, Bakuzan Burlycloud, serves as the chair for Export, Trade and Tourism within the Tillers' Union, and is able to secure for trade and sale: ** Livestock from the Valley and surrounding areas: *** Domesticated yaks for transportation, furs and leathers *** Domesticated goats for goat-riding *** Mushan husbandry; meat, bones and leathers *** Fox pelts from the Wild Plains *** Tiger steaks and pelts & crane meat, eggs and feathers from the outskirts of the Krasarang Wilds *** Turtle shells and meat from the Yan-Zhe River *** Giant shrimp and varying fish breeds, also from the Yan-Zhe River * Jinyu Waterspeaker relics and iconography * Fertile soil and grass seeds * Ghost Iron and rare Trillium ( in both Black and White varieties ) ores * Silks, cloth and luxury textiles from the Silken Fields * Imported brews and ales derived from very tense negotiations with surrounding breweries, including but not limited to the prestigious Stormstout Brewery * Bamboo shoots and wood from Paoquan Hollow * Rice, breads and assorted fancy grains from the Imperial Granary * The finest culinary implements, spices and recipes from the community of Halfhill, along with prepackaged meals: ** Peaches; dried, sliced, pied or packaged as-is ** Varying fish dishes; jerky, consomme, curried, caked or skewered ** Mushrooms, rice cakes, yogurts and red bean buns for the animal-conscious * Imported Vale of Eternal Blossoms water (** now 100% Sha-influence free ) Feel free to speak with the Trade Baron at any time to arrange the importation and sale of Pandarian goods. The Outpost The Winds' headquarters and warehousing in scenic Draenor. Built up as a repurposed military garrison, it's been refortified inside and out with supplies and materials from allies and enemies alike. It currently offers: * A sprawling mineshaft with access to true iron and blackrock ores. Recently cleared of an Ogre infestation. * Fully stocked, picturesque fishing lake with native Draenor fish of all varieties: ** Crescent Saberfish ** Blind Lake Sturgeon ** Fat Sleeper ** Blackwater Whiptail ** Abyssal Gulper ** Sea Scorpion ** Fire Ammonite ( harvested twice a week from Frostfire Valley by trained Winds employees ) ** 'Crabster' - a hybrid crab/lobster, found in the deepest pits of the darkest Northrend watering holes. makes for delicious meals and fishing baits. ( COMING SOON ) * Medium-sized plots of tilled fields with native Draenor crops, thanks to the neighboring settlement of Elodor: ** O'ruk Oranges ** Fuzzy Pears ** Nagrand Cherries ( pre-digested and post-digested forms available upon request ) ** Greenskin Apples ** Ironpeel Plantains * An immaculately-maintained herb garden, tended by the Trade Baron herself; stocked with the most useful medicinal and culinary herbs Azeroth and beyond has to offer. Packaged and sold by request only; bulk orders are also available for those needing larger quantities of specific herbs. * A large cluster of chicken coops; feathers, fresh eggs and meat are easily bartered with the citizens of Elodor and beyond Shadowmoon Valley for varying Draenic spices, crystals and artificer implements. Deliveries and Trade Routes Established routes of safe passage for deliveries and trade routes are being mapped out, tested and executed throughout all four major continents of Azeroth, ensuring that no package goes undelivered and no deal goes undone! In the meantime, the Winds have set aside gratuitous amounts of funding for transportation of their carefully managed inventories, including leasing out two modestly-sized shipping freighters, along with the construction and usage of gyrocopter delivery systems ( both manned and unmanned ) and a team of trained portal-generating Mages for specific deliveries to locations, time periods and more. A staff of Pandaren from Kun-Lai and the Jade Forest, along with relocated Westfall citizens given new careers after the events of the Cataclysm, make up the majority of the Winds' behind-the-scenes workforce. In addition to the above lists, the Four Winds' elite employees can be contracted and trusted to recover rarities, antiquities and more. No job is too big or too small! From winning a Darkmoon Faire carnival game toy to recovering a priceless family treasure from the depths of Vashj'ir, the Four Winds can be trusted to accomplish any task necessary. Subsections of the Winds The Four Winds Trade. Co. also owns a small side business based around the preparation and sale of instant-noodle rations; available in many flavor varieties ( try the Shrimp or Mushan Rib! ) and intended for quick preparation and consumption on the battlefield for Alliance conscripts. These meals are prepared with Valley produce and imported Vale water for extra nutrition, and were Bakuzan's first successful small-business ownership. A small team of Pandaren chefs work nearly around the clock to ship out instant noodle meals, which are then carted off to contested territories like Ashran. To supplement her businesses, Bakuzan has further branched out and established a small industry around the growing, harvesting, drying and creation of gourmet tea bags in lavish shapes and sizes; intended for gift-giving as a luxury item, they sell quite well to the nobles of both the Horde and Alliance. The plants themselves are sourced from local farms in both Pandaria, Draenor and the Eastern Kingdoms, then crafted and packaged in the Jade Forest. Three flavors are currently in circulation: * Burlybrew, a strong black tea packaged with dried Witchberry leaves; * Shen-zin Brew, a Green Tea brewed with dried Rain Poppies as a relaxant; * Celeritea, a white tea with rose hips and rare Golden Lotus petals. Several other teas are available to be packaged and shipped - Stormvine, Starflower, Talador Orchid and more are popular blends due to flavors and effects on the mind and body. Due to supply of the herbs therein and demand of the ornate tea bags, the Winds' stores are often depleted, and back-orders can stockpile for up for weeks at a time. Allied Exports Listing The Four Winds Trade Co. are currently in talks to work as a third party go-between for vendor-to-client sales, allowing them ample access and supply to their allied organizations' stocks on both their behalf and their allies' interests. The Bulwark of the New Dawn, headed by Marshal Elizabeth Embershield, offers: * Enchanted Elven goods of varying make and model. * Elven-crafted arrows. * Furs and pelts from stags within the lands of Ronae'danil. The Ironcloak Union is a newer ally, however, headed by Lord Samuel Alberic, the Union is already in solidified partnerships with many established and flourishing trade organizations. They offer: * Herbs, ores and furs native to the continent of Northrend. * Wool from Durnholde in the Hillsbrad Foothills. * Expertly crafted firearms and ammunitions from technicians in Fort Might and Valhallon. * Coal and varying ores from the Wetlands. * Resilient and fortified lumber from the Grizzly Hills lumber mills. Many esteemed members of the Light's Accord and varying Stormwind City and Ironforge businesses have also expressed interest in working with the Four Winds, but no paperwork has been set in stone as of yet. Structure The Four Winds is currently undergoing a restructuring process to better facilitate individual members' personalities and goals for their RPs. Having someone who isn't fond of fighting be sent out with the heavy-hitters, or conversely, a fighter sent on behalf of diplomacy's sake, isn't putting a character in a place where they're best suited for the Winds' interests. To that end, we're undergoing a small cosmetic restructure that will apply to all Quests and Campaigns from here on out. * RESOURCES. This department is for intelligence gathering on behalf of the Winds' interests. Not necessarily limited to the covert, employees of the Resources department are in charge of keeping track of clients, clientele information, property damaged by Barsos, intelligence gathered on potential clients and jobs, etc. etc. The more we know about a job, the easier that job becomes. They also accept jobs on behalf of the Winds and handle the HR perspectives - paychecks, bonuses, rewards, all the good parts of, you know, working for someone - without necessarily the outright violence of Acquisitions or the map-tracking nightmare that is Logistics. HEAD OF DIVISION: BAKUZAN BURLYCLOUD. * ACQUISITIONS. This department is for those who like getting their hands dirty and don't mind picking fights -- or ending them. Mainly the muscle to Logistics' brains and Resources' backbone. Acquisitions are also sent out to fight on behalf of the Winds for its allies when contracted or requested, in addition to their guardianship of our properties and interests. HEAD OF DIVISION: BARSOS IRONHIDE. * LOGISTICS. This department is for those less combat-minded, but still want to utilize their abilities to make a ton of gold. Mages, priests, lesser druids, those not necessarily jumping at the bit to fight - all brainy types are welcomed here. Logistics are in charge of inventory and shipping routes, acquiring interests towards items for trade and generally ensuring that our products or what-have-you arrive on time and in full. Logistics members also tend to accompany deliveries or jobs to ensure whatever the Winds are after is retrieved (hopefully in one piece). HEAD OF DIVISION: FINLEY C. CHEALES. Mission Statement / Admittance / Policies and Rules Mission Statement The is a casual-heavy Alliance RP-PVE/d20 guild on MoonGuard-US that focuses on the fictional World of Warcraft from a lighthearted supply, unique trade and adventure perspective. We strive to provide a safe and entertaining environment for all members, ICly and OOCly, and to act as a paragon of goodwill and active Moon Guard community support; providing an enjoyable experience in context of the game where a player can flesh out their character's stories through immersive group-based roleplay, or enjoy a casual and social environment whilst working on their personal PVE or PVP progression. Lore and Events Members are encouraged to learn about the expansive lore of the World of Warcraft - there is an expected level of being grammatically correct and lore-abiding by all IC members. FWTC members are often invited to participate in allied guild events as guests as a measure of goodwill; appropriate conduct and abiding by the group's established rules is expected; lore-breakers and 'god-modding' will not be tolerated, and violators will be disciplined at a time and place that will not affect the current group. * Ranks above Employee have guild 'permission to create their own events on the guild calendar, and are highly encouraged to write their own RPs and campaigns for Employees to participate in. * FWTC members are additionally highly encouraged to draw up their own d100 sheet to participate in Grand Alliance events and to add to their character's immersion. The template for this sheet can be found HERE. Expounded Anti-Harassment Measures As you interact with others, keep in mind that you are part of a Company and thus reflect that Company through your actions; setting up alliances with other members or guilds is encouraged by nature of the guild's purpose; if you are able to set up such an accord, please make a note of it on the Company's Messageboard (addon available through curse.com, downloadable HERE) Harassment (''event disruption, hate speech, item abuse, unwanted attention of a sexual nature, forum harassment, in-game through whispers, ban evasions, mail harassment or other mediums otherwise ICly or OOCly) will not be tolerated. Officers are expected to enforce and comply with this policy, or risk losing their Partner status. Bakuzan and her Partners work closely with GMs and officers of Moon Guard guilds to carefully examine cases of harassment or abuse, and will act accordingly when such situations dictate; guild members and allies alike are encouraged to screenshot cases of harassment or abuse with context and have them ready to submit to appropriate parties as evidence for such claims. False claims or manipulating context or events to 'cry wolf' will not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal from the Company. Attendance and Guild Bank Expectations There is no set level of expected attendance to scheduled events. Measures are taken to ensure players at all times of the day and night have a chance to participate in events or walkup RPs. Secondary, tertiary et al. characters are invited into the guild at an OOC/ALT (Out of Character/Alternative Character) level; no one player may maintain the same rank across any characters in the guild in the interest of keeping guild bank materials at a stable level. However, if a player is actively utilizing guild resources contributed by IC members (gold, mats deposited into the guild bank, taking advantage of member kindness through time or crafting, etc.) without repayment of some kind (consistently choosing to disregard scheduled events, no IC interaction with other members, theft from the guild bank for personal profit or other extenuating circumstances) will be reprimanded by demotions and removals. Misc. * Casual reminder that FWTC is not an ERP guild; we do not provide prostitution or escort services. Members are not discouraged from ERP on their own time, but advertising their 'services' under the FWTC banner is strictly prohibited. There are many fine organizations on the server that can aid players with such needs; FWTC is not one. * Having the 'of the Four Winds' title ( earned from clearing the Cataclysm-era raid Throne of the Four Winds on '''Heroic ) is not required, but encouraged for aesthetic reasons during guild events.Tabard wear is not enforced; we realize the white and gold lotus pattern can be difficult to match up with certain transmogrifications. * At this time Employees have no uniform; being a for-hire and contracted work organization, Bakuzan and her Partners realize that each Employee has their own unique style choices to bring to the Four Winds - however, what is colloquially referred to as 'slutmog' and blatantly out-of-character garb during guild events or server-wide representation is strongly frowned upon; depending on the situation or event, Employees will be asked to either change or be removed from the event in question. * The Four Winds are often asked to cater events that they would otherwise not be a part of ICly. Members are encouraged to bring their own refreshments if they wish to aid in catering; feasts, tables, Pandaren banquets, consumables, and varying types of drinks or alcohols are encouraged to be brought in by the player to aid in their RP. Players will be reimbursed from the guild bank for items purchased under expectation of event usage (to a reasonable degree. Baku's not giving you 120k for a Grand Expedition Yak.) =Recruitment= ---- The Company is always looking for competent, reliable business partners and employees! (( If you'd like to apply, visit the website and fill out an app, or look for a member in-game for an IC interview. )) Category:Alliance Guilds Category:Four Winds Trade Company Category:Trade Organizations